I have to admit, I’m not a fan of anthologies. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them, I just prefer something that goes on a little longer and gives me a more in-depth study into the characters and their lives. However, Amor and More: Love Everafter is a little something different because it isn’t just a short piece of something new. Instead, it’s an extension of something already richly familiar.

If you’ve read anything of late from Bold Strokes Books authors like Radclyffe, Meghan O’Brien and Karis Walsh, you’ll be delighted in the continuing snippets of the lives of characters portrayed after some passage of time. Nell Stark gives us an exquisitely romantic story (A Royal Engagement) of Princess Alexandra Victoria Jane, known to all as Sasha, and the woman who changed her life, Kerry Donovan (a follow-up to The Princess Affair). In a show of variety, Amor and More continues the story of Camille Black Wolf and Kara Lynch from Burgundy Betrayal by Shari Lewis Wohl. When Kara falls victim to an attacker, Cam must pull out all the stops to save the love of her life and summon powers from another realm to do it (previously of Wolf Night). With an offering by Karis Walsh, the characters from Sea Glass Inn are about to embark on a new phase of their lives and Pam tries to quell her nervousness over an up-coming important event (in the short story Carousel) and Mel and her son, Danny, surround Pam with their love and support when her ex and her son show up at the inn. In Ali Vali’s encounter with the main characters from the Devil Series, Cain and Emma’s relationship is as sensual as ever in the short offering The Devil You Know, and while they attend a party for an old friend, Cain gets up to her old tricks and teaches a lesson to more than one FBI agent assigned to watch her every move. Radclyffe also offers a story (Bad Girls and Sweet Kisses) in the continuing lives of characters from When Dreams Tremble and Homestead to round out a look at the blended lives after the longer stories about her characters.

Some favorite authors and stories are sure to be included in this anthology. In addition to those mentioned above, there are offerings from Rebekah Weatherspoon, Erin Dutton, D. Jackson Leigh, Martha Miller, Andrea Bramhall, Maggie Morton, Carsen Taite, Lesley Davis, Barbara Ann Wright, Lee Lynch, and Gun Brooke.

The stories are as varied as the authors themselves and each story carries the voice true to the initial tale. The characters remain authentic to themselves and the original stories. They are told with a range of emotional colors from poignancy and sensuality to thrills and humor. It’s fun to catch up with characters we’ve come to know in longer tales. It’s like sitting down with old friends over a cup of something just to catch up on what’s been happening in their lives more recently. The interludes, the characters and the stories are most enjoyable, and if you aren’t familiar with all of them, even those that are new will be enchanting and entertaining and might even make you want to know the whole story that prompted the catch-up contribution. Amor and More: Love Everafter gives us insight into the enduring love that each of the main characters in these stories have for one another. Skillfully edited and arranged by the award winning team of Radclyffe and Stacia Seaman, this is a great addition to any reading list.

Anna Furtado is the author of lesbian romance (some with mysterious twists and turns) and historical romance, all written with passion and sensuality that sparks the imagination. She’s been an author, columnist, and reviewer for over a decade. Visit her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/anna.furtado1 and www.facebook.com/annafurtadoauthor/